Series back on, but status is 'fragile'

THE RETURN of the international rules series has been confirmed but its status has been described as "fragile" by a senior Croke Park official. He was speaking about yesterday's confirmation of the dates for this year's series, 24th and 31st October in Perth and Melbourne. The venues have yet to be confirmed but are likely to be Subiaco Oval and the MCG.

Dermot Power, the GAA's commercial and marketing manager, who has been liaising with the AFL over the resumed series, also said the best way forward for the international project may be on a biennial basis, once the immediate, commemorative series are completed (the 150th anniversary of Australian rules and next year's 125th GAA anniversary).

"I think you may get it onto a two-year cycle," according to Power. "None of our players - or very few - are going to engage with this for six successive years. It's quite disruptive and we don't have the same strength-in-depth as the Australians, whose players as a result have shorter careers at international level."

Asked would the series be promoted as a predominantly physical spectacle as happened in Ireland during the ill-fated 2006 tests, Power said that although the home association runs the marketing campaign, he would be surprised were that to be the theme of AFL advertising.

"The AFL, as a courtesy, tell us what they are doing. I wouldn't expect that (sort of campaign) would be the case and I don't think that would happen. The series at the moment is far too fragile a concept."

After the violent scenes that marred the series in 2005 and caused its suspension a year later there will be a great deal more sensitivity about discipline.

Power believes that reaction of the GAA to what happened in 2006 has revealed that the Australians are even more committed to the series than previously.

"I'd say they're more committed than the GAA at this stage. I don't think they believed that there would be such a serious reaction to what happened in the recent series. They thought drawing the crowds would be enough."

The most enthusiastic constituency within the association, he says, has been the players who have represented Ireland.

"The players were a strong voice in this. They were consulted and expressed great support for its continuation. The reaction was very positive."

Power also pointed out that the revenue generated by the series was sufficient to fund it but not much else. "It's no money spinner. There's a very small surplus when everything's paid for. The financial argument wouldn't sustain it."

After discussions between the AFL and GAA earlier in the year it has emerged that disciplinary procedures will be stricter with suspensions applicable in the respective domestic games. There will also be a video match official to be recruited from another sport, probably rugby union or rugby league. Each side will have a referee/umpire and linesman and it is hoped that they can practice together before the test series starts.

The AFL are organising an international rules competition for schools in Melbourne with the top two progressing to play in a curtain-raiser before the second test. This competition will be run off in the two weeks before the second test and will afford the match officials an opportunity to work together and in conjunction with the video referee. His powers will extend to intervening in matches to draw the attentions of field officials to red-card offences and he will also be in charge of citing players for tribunal hearings - something in which the AFL and GAA officials will have no role.

There is also the likelihood that a warm-up match will be re-instituted before the first test. This has been a matter of some controversy in the past. Three years ago then manager Peter McGrath and his selectors decided against having a formal practise engagement and the lack of it was one of the issues raised after Ireland's heavy defeat in the series.

But in 2003 John O'Keeffe's side were handicapped when Tipperary's Declan Browne sustained a leg injury that ended his participation in the series after a crushing foul by a player, Ashley Prescott, on the Western Australia Football League selection.